Skip forward three long years. The final bottle had that same thin beige head, but the "pop!" on opening told me that the beer was still carbonated. Hooray! Hops took on a reduced presence in the aroma, with a brown sugar sweetness taking its place. The maple seemed to be a pillar of the flavor this time around, with a note of oak mixed in. Most amazingly, the alcohol was barely detectable! Supernatural smoothness was still present with hops finally emerging from the background to tickle the tongue.

The mellowing of the alcohol and melding of different flavors allowed the Immort Ale to exceed the initial round of high marks. Three years was just right for this beer while others might peak at 20 years — not knowing what you're going to get is half the fun. So if you'll excuse me, it's time to pick up a few more beers — I'm thinking ALESMITH OLD NUMBSKULL, NORTH COAST OLD RASPUTIN, and TRAPPISTES ROCHEFORT 10 — and throw them in the time capsule. It'll just require a little patience.